Helping Those In Need Part 2

Chapter 221-1

Helping Those In Need

Part 2

 

The rest of the day was a cake walk, I only had to go to the office twice and that was so I could visit the safe where I kept my cash in a locked metal suitcase that only I had the key and combination to, which was behind the counter and Principle Higgins had to open the safe so his secretary could get the case out for me. I wasn’t the only student that kept large sums of cash here at school, but it was safer here than in my wallet or locker.

I had lost count on how much money I had spent buying books for us and my fellow classmates that didn’t have the means of buying their own. All I did know was all the money I was using came out of our slush fund. Eli and I as well as our wives and Greg would pay our share back to the slush fund; letting our slush fund pay for the students that couldn’t afford their own books. Bishop Earl said it would help us at tax time as charitable donations.

My last class of the day was the most important one to me, being as it was the Drivers Ed class, I had study hour scheduled after lunch because the teacher had canceled class so he could set up all the new computers in the lab. So instead we spent it in the library opening new books and putting them on the shelf, or shelves that were available while the new ones were being put in places and the old ones being repainted or varnished or simply dismantled because the wood was rotted to the core.

It was a mess with books stacked on the floor and tables. We didn’t have to help, but we didn’t have anything else to do with so very little homework. Like I said the last class was the one I was looking forward to, as I received another new book as we watched a movie on the worst car accidents.

Normally we would have all gone home, but since Coach Brady had arranged tryouts for the various sports, plus another round of physical therapy to show the students that I was on the mend. He had ranged that on Tuesday and Thursday that Jared I would work in the pool and when we didn’t need the wheelchairs anymore we would be working on our training with our friends that wanted it.

Kirk and his friends were well-rounded athletes so they participated in the tryouts to keep their spots on the team. Football was over and the basketball and wrestling, as well as the swimming teams, were just getting started; because they were all indoor sports, Swimming was all year round sport.

Dad was hoping that he and Stringum will convince me that I should join the swim team here and later the wrestling team. Once we no longer need the cover story. Dad didn’t care if I didn’t join the basketball team or the football team because I already had a busy life as it was. But he and Stringum wanted to make sure that I didn’t have my nose in a book or always working. Instead, they wanted me to spend time with my friends mostly because I needed them and the second reason I needed to be close with those inside the satanic church which was above anything else and that included work and school.

The moment of truth came when Kirk and his friends were dressing in the locker room or should I say undressing as they quickly noticed that Kirk had been perfectly groomed just like the rest of my friends and me. Kirk said. “What? My lover doesn’t like get hair in his mouth when tasting me, plus we have better sex then I have ever had because of it.” He wasn’t as shy around boys then he was girls as he let them take a good look as they compared his very large cobra size penis to theirs now that they could see the whole thing.

He had kissed me throughout the day since had been given permission to do so by principle Higgins he even kissed Eli and Greg as well and each of our wives. Giving his friends and classmates mixed signals. No one questioned us about it after hearing what had happened to Mr. Higgins and after reading the note stating that if they had problem with it they can visit Principle Higgins in his office and that there would be a meeting after school for all the teachers.

Swimming was the easiest sport for me and Jared because we didn’t have to do much to swim laps back and forth once we were in the pool. Doing random pool exercises that we had done a million times. Tony and Jenny had gone home so they could change their disguises; I didn’t ask what was on their agenda because it was none of my business, at least not yet anyway. We still had no word from Mr. Tate, as we climbed into the limo as Kirk and I were dropped off. I only needed my crutches considering the wheelchair would be disaster inside his house being so small. Yet when we arrived there were a large moving van and two large construction dumpster in front of the house.

We went inside as Bishop Earl and Mr. Vincent was helping with boxes while his Mom and several other people I didn’t know, but had seen them in our new Heber ward as well as our new Bishop, as he reintroduced himself to me as Bishop Bradbury. He shook my hand as I waited to see if I would get that strange wonderful feeling that I could trust him. Then was let down not feeling anything… no sense of light or badness. Just nothing more, which said I had to take him at face value, which does happen more often than not, stating not everyone I meet gives me that special one of a kind feeling?

Bishop James Bradbury was average guy built rugged and tough all into a small little package, a man no bigger than 5 foot 3 with a very round head, dark brown hair, graying on the sides. Light blue eyes and almond shape with a short stem nose and full lips that curved slightly uneven.

Today he didn’t look like a Bishop, today he was wearing a large over sized coat which we all needed being it was at least 15 degrees or so. Nice pair works jeans and a pair of logging boots. Underneath he was wearing a think logger’s checkered flannel shirt, and work gloves. He wasn’t afraid of getting dirty, nor was his wife Pam who was helping with some of the ladies from the ward to help pack Kirk's Moms things.

She was an older woman compared to her husband wearing thick wire frame glasses over her dark brown eyes and had more wrinkles than her husband, mostly around her eyes and cheeks. She too was a small woman like Kirk's Mom. She wore a blue bandanna scarf over her thick bluish-gray hair and a large brown coat that went all the way down to her knees; wearing comfortable pair of jeans that looked like they were made for this kind of work as well as long hiker boots.

Kirk asked his Mom what was going on. She said. “Nothing much son, the world is invading our home like an army; we are moving into Mr. Sake’s trailer for the meantime until they finish renovating our home. But his cabin won’t be finished until later in the week, so we will be staying with Mr. Carrion.” She said. “According to the guy they brought in that we needed a lot more than just fixing the heater.

“The floorboards are rotted and were infested with termites. We were lucky that none of us got hurt. Because there were several holes under the carpet where they had eaten right through, the roof too was more than a few little leaks, the walls were soft and crumbling from water and ice damage, the windows were useless and needed to be replaced the plumbing is shot, the electrical needs an overhaul. The list goes on and on. But the house isn’t a total lost just needs a little bit of love and care.

“So go pack up your room and be careful where you step, the floorboards are very weak. They say we could be all moved out in couple hours or so, considering we aren’t keeping any of the furniture. It's all going to the dump and Mr. Sakes and Mr. Carrion and Bishop Earl and Bishop Bradbury say that they have tons of it they aren’t using anymore and was planning on giving it way to those that need it.

Kirk said. “Wouldn’t be easier to burn to the ground and start over?”

Mr. Vincent said. “Maybe it would, but why when the framework is sound and the foundation is still good just needs some repair. It would take twice as long to tear it down rebuild it from the ground up. Besides your mother was thinking about moving anyway and could sell the house to buy something bigger where you’re not so cramped.

“If we tore it down we couldn’t sell it because the bank still owns it. It would take to long to buy it rather than renovate it in mater of weeks instead of months. She would make more money by fixing it up then selling it. Bishop Bradbury is fitting half the bill and I and Mr. Carrion are paying the rest of it.

“She won’t have to pay rent on the trailer when you move in it, and all the furniture will be all donated. I have made arrangements with our contractor to add this one, and four others to our current projects. You just happened to be the first on the list, because the other four aren’t nearly as bad is this one, so we are to believe considering we haven’t gone over them with a fine tooth comb.

“We can buy them from the bank as a package deal and resell them using the proceeds to give the families that want something nicer like one of our trailers or one of the four types of cabins we are building in or housing development. We could even buy this from your mother; if we needed to if she needs the money to purchase a newer home like our cabins or decides she likes the trailer we are offering.

“It’s a win, win situation we help the community and they get a chance to move into something nicer and below book value. We get to use interests payments not the bank and we all get what we want. Now get your boy's butt in there start packing. So we can begin work before we lose the light.”

Kirk gave a military salute and I followed him. Kirk opened his bedroom door said. “This was my room.”

I said. “I thought my room was small at my mother’s house. Hell, my bathroom is bigger than this room.” I noticed that he and his brother shared it with two single beds with barely a walkway if you could call it that.

Kirk said. “You really want to see small?” I nodded and showed me his bathroom which a little smaller then my mothers with a tiny little square to turn around in from the toilet that had seen better days and a tub that was sinking slightly downward.

He rolled marble in it as it raced down towards the drain said. “At least it drains really fast. Considering it leaks faster then we can keep water in it. Don’t flush the toilet unless you have to and be sure the toilet stops running or it will run all night and end up moping the floor.” The sink to rattles real bad and you have to run it a little before using it until the rust stops. The hot water is usually either really hot or mild or sometimes non-existent.”

He turned and we went down a very small hall as he opened his mother’s room. Seeing a stripped bed that looked it had seen better days taking up the entire room with a small cramped walkway where the dresser was and small broom closet that was empty. He jumped on the bed as he lay in the middle of it as sank in the middle. And squeaked and bowed in.

It didn’t take long to pack up his room as we heard a loud crash. Kirk's Mom said help, Kirk and I hurried to the kitchen where several men were holding up the kitchen cabinets as they had literally fallen off the wall and all the dishes were falling out because the fridge that was supporting it had sunk into the floorboards.

Once she was clear they closed the doors as someone taped the doors shut then stepped back while other two on the end carefully let the end down as it leaned on the fridge in that position. Mr. Vincent said. “Anyone that doesn’t need to be inside this death trap outside.” Everyone made beeline taking a box with them; the living room was empty and basically filling entire dumpster.

Mr. Vincent and Bishop Earl told me and Kirk not to move or step lightly to his bedroom. Watching them remove the carpet as the smell intensified as we covered our mouths and noses. Once they had removed the carpet and the pad in pieces, we could see more holes in the floor as it looked like Swiss cheese.

His Mom gasped and looked at us as her face paled. Mr. Benson picked up the phone and told someone to bring large particle boards so we could walk without killing ourselves. He told Kirk to slide all his boxes across the kitchen floor. He did what he was told, we gasped as more of the floor caved in and the box he slid across it sunk deep into a hole.

Mr. Vincent frowned. Kirk said. “Burning it down sounds really good too me.”

He said. “Me too, but like I said we can’t it would take to long to build from the ground up.”

Bishop Bradbury said. “May I make a suggestion?”

Mr. Vincent said. “Ok, I am listening.”

He said. “I am friends with the bank manager; I bet he would be willing to sell me this house in two minutes.  If I give him a little encouragement like a walk through asking him real politely if he could see himself living in this house the way it is right now, or if he would make more money to raise the house to the ground and rebuild it in half the time.

“I am itching to have a major service project. And I bet I can have the bare bones of this house built in two days. Considering that is where you would start after you gutted it. I bet a steak dinner on it, cooked personally by me.”

Mr. Vincent said. “Ok I’ll take that bet; I’ll give you those two days it would take me that long to have the materials needed to start anyway. Plus we can make a lot more money with a bigger floor plan and easier to sell.”

Bishop Bradbury rubbed his hands together and picked up the phone and dialed the number. He said. “Randle I calling in one of my IOUs How fast can you get here? I am at this address we were talking about earlier. I’ll time you.” He hung up the phone and Kirk and I went back to our room as they waited, I jumped out of my skin as I heard allowed clanking noise and hissing like metal scraping and the bad smell filled the room.

Kirk smiled said. “It’s just the Furnaces; it just decided it going work now that we all bundled up wearing our coats.” We had stuffed all his clothes to large garbage bags and all the bedding from both beds and piled it on top of the beds as we waited until we could move safely out of the room without finding another sinkhole. 

We both jumped back as the bed next to us we had been piling things on just sank into the floorboards and giant rats came out to say hi were abandoning ship.

Mr. Vincent asked if we all right Kirk said. “Were fine, but we are sinking in here.” I heard him make his way toward us, hearing boards breaking with each step. He screamed like a little girl. Bishop Bradbury laughed telling him. “Its just monster sized rat getting out while getting’s good. Boys, are you ok staying right where you are?”

Kirk said. “Yes.”

I said. “Not moving an inch not until you give us a way out sir.”

Kirk said. “I guess the house is mad because it knows its history, either that it didn’t like all our company.”

We didn’t have to wait long as we heard a new voice coming from the living room. Bishop Bradbury quickly reintroduced him to Mr. Vincent and Bishop Earl.  We heard him say. “Watch your step, the house isn’t very happy with having us as guests. We slightly underestimated the damage, but we have had more foot traffic in here then it’s used too.”

As quickly as he could walk to us, said. "The floor is rotted and eaten away by termites as you can see and don’t touch the walls they are very soft.” I heard crumbling as he must have given him a demonstration. He said. “The kitchen is a death trap as you can see we have turned off the gas once the stove and the fridge sank, taking the cabinets with it.”

I heard more crunching as he said. “That is one the big ones we just discovered who tried to eat Mr. Vincent, oh and that big noise that sounds like a car backfiring is the Furnaces, we had planned to fix today until we got poking around finding a long list of problems by the house inspector stating the house is unlivable.”

I heard some more crunching as Bishop Bradbury came into our room sees the bed that had decided it liked the floor plan better there. He introduced us to us and said for us not to go anywhere.

Kirk said. “The window has a large crack in it and leaks when it rains; if we have too we can go out that way.”

Bishop Bradbury said. “I am afraid if we break the window boys that wall holding it in place might go with it.” They left the room as we heard him turn on the water in the bathroom sink as pipes started shaking in the wall as if they wanted out. I heard a loud crunch and Kirk had to see as he peeked around the corner informing me the tub had just leveled out. He carefully came back as they opened his mom’s room as another crash sounded.

Kirk said peaking. “The doors lose, I should have warned you sorry.” They made it back down the hall as the heater came back on as it filled the room with awful stench and the aloud unbearable noise.

The bank guy said. “You’re telling me people actually live in this house?”

Bishop Bradbury said. “Yes, and it is my fault… because if I would have known I would have moved them into my home if I had too. But apparently my ward has been slacking in home teaching because there are 4 more just like it, and I have been told that they aren’t as bad this one. But I sure you if that’s the case they won’t be in them a second longer.”

The bank guy said. “So what’s the favor? Are you asking me for a donation that would get these people out of here? Or you just telling me I suck as their home teacher?”

Bishop Bradbury said. “Oh I won’t turn down a donation and we could put it towards helping these families out. But what I really need is for you to sell me these homes, and clear them as paid and so we can burn them to the ground. I need that done quickly like in the next few minutes; or as fast as it takes it to clear everything out of here.

“Mr. Vincent and I say we can come out smelling like roses if we tear them all down and build nice big new ones in their places. Faster then tornado ripping through a dry desert, unless you think you can sell these homes as is, as they sit here where kids can come in here and get hurt; and making no profit on the ones that we could have built in its place.”

He said. “Give me an hour and I sell you the homes for one price say 10.00 the cost of what I would pay for firewood.”

Bishop Bradbury said. “Deal. Now the other thing I want you to do is to contact every man and boy that can handle a hammer and nail to be here at 6 pm sharp dressed warm and ready to go to work. I promised Mr. Vincent that I would have this home built to the bare bones in two days, and I plan to make that deadline.

“I haven’t been in the other homes nor have I worked out a place for them to stay, but I will put them all in my house wall to wall or line them all up inside the church gym if I have too. I am not going to let them spend a minute longer then they have too in a home that is falling apart faster than a hail storm in May. And you do suck as a home teacher and I really suck as their Bishop.

“So we better make it right because I am not willing to explain to our savor and say I screwed up and still didn’t make a lick of difference in their lives. When I could have done something, then sit at my desk shuffling paperwork saying maybe tomorrow, but tomorrow has long gone. Today is here and now. I am timing you. Now get me my deeds to these houses and put on some working clothes and get your butt down here. Oh here’s your ten dollars.”

The bank guys said. “Keep it, I think you need it worst then I do.”  He quickly made a hasty exit. He gave Kirk the ten dollars and told him to go buy him some marshmallows and box of matches and find all his friends and bring them here, that he going to get his wish.

He quickly dashed away down the street on his bike. Mr. Vincent told the guys to lay us trail so we could get the heck out of here before the house comes down on us.